Elizabeth A. Geiser, a New York book industry legend who founded the Denver Publishing Institute in 1976 and directed it for 33 years, died Oct. 8 at her residence in Naples, Fla. Famously cryptic about her age, she graduated from Hood College in 1947.

Geiser was a dynamo whose life revolved around books, especially reference and publishing education. She had a gift for making each person she met feel like the most fascinating individual on Earth.

Between 1976 and 2008, when she retired, Geiser guided more than 3,000graduates to publishing careers. Prior to the first day of each course, she made and memorized cards noting the names and interests of the course’s 90 students. Upon being introduced to Geiser, students were stunned when she recognized their names and asked after a particular avocation.

Ellen Crowley, who was in the institute’s first graduating class, described the course as “the grounding for the rest of my career,” and still remembers being star-struck by the storied editors, authors and publishers who presented workshops at the Institute.

“The workshops were always taught by someone tops in the field,” said Crowley, who worked with Geiser at Gale Research, the reference publishing company.

“I remember the marketing workshop like it was yesterday. We were given a manuscript that I loved. I walked into the classroom on the last day of the workshop and realized the author was sitting in the room. It was Alex Haley, and the book was ‘Roots.’ I still have the bound copy of the manuscript.”

“With ‘Roots,’ I don’t know if the publisher knew what they had at that point — that it would become such a huge best-seller. But every year, she’d get top executives from New York and other parts of the country. Seldom would anyone say no to her. The busiest executives would fly in, give a lecture, and fly back that night.”

Among those was Peter Mayer, president of The Overlook Press and former chief operating officer of Penguin Books. During his tenure at Penguin, Mayer flew several times from London to Denver to lecture at the Publishing Institute.

“Nobody else would have gotten me to fly 6,000 miles in a few days,” he said.

Part of that magic can be traced to Geiser’s custom of hand-written thank-you notes, which unfailingly arrived in the mail of anyone who lectured at the institute or offered help of any kind.

Joyce Meskis, who succeeded Geiser as the institute’s director, once gently chided her, saying, “We’re close friends! You don’t have to write a thank-you note every time you come to dinner!”

“She was unflagging in her efforts to promote education and publishing, and to work with students in assisting them to be the future of our industry,” Meskis said.

“She was a great listener. She was totally engaged. She was a woman of extraordinary action who was there to help, always. Always, always, always.”